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chapter nine
Nick finds himself feeling disconnected from the East, and all of its inhabitants. He attempts to gather people together for Gatsby's funeral, but he is unsuccessful. Tom and Daisy have gone away, and Meyer Wolfsheim does not want to be associated with Gatsby. Eventually Nick receives a telegram from Gatsby's father, Henry C. Gatz. He has read of his son's death in the newspaper, and is coming from Minnesota for the funeral.
Gatsby’s father feels great pride in his son, and is seemingly unaware of the type of business he was in. He shows Gatsby’s childhood book, Hopalong Cassiday, to Nick. Inside the book is a detailed daily schedule which was written out by Gatsby including when to get his exercise, when to study, when to participate in sports, etc. This reminds us of the innocence inherit in the American Dream. If you work hard enough, success will be yours.
At the funeral, Owl-Eyes join Nick and Henry. All of the people who had attended Gatsby's many parties never really knew the man, and are absent from the proceedings. Henry did not know Gatsby either, only James Gatz. Nick and Owl-Eyes both knew the real Gatsby.
Nick and Jordan break things off. She claims to be engaged to another man, which Nick does not believe.
Nick bumps into Tom on Fifth Avenue. At first Nick refuses to shake his hand. He blames Tom for Gatsby’s death, as he was the one who told George that the car that killed his wife was Gatsby’s. Nick sees that Tom feels his actions are totally justified. Nick shakes Tom's hand, and moves on.
On Nick’s last night in the East, he walks over to Gatsby’s mansion. He erases an obscenity that someone has written on the house. Nick looks out along the beach and wonders what this land was like long ago-when it was a new and unspoiled world. Nick sees the green light. The green light represents the dream. The pure dream that Gatsby had. The purity of the American Dream is something that is in our past. The past of our nation, and in the innocence of our youth.
Nick realizes that what Gatsby had was the sense of unlimited promise. He possessed The American Dream.
An older and wiser Nick returns to the Midwest.